Reviews... What makes one Helpful or Unhelpful?

[JillyBeanTX]

So I was checking my reviews today and noticed one had negative feedback (I was crushed but I am the sensitive type some days! 😟😕😀😀😕😟.  Most  get some Unhelpful clicks.  One was 50-50!!!! LOL)

Thus... I am curious.  

What kinds of things/ reviews to do you find Helpful?

What kinda of things/ reviews don't help at all? 

I would love some feedback on feedback! 

Ready. Set. GO!!!

[ather]

How do you check if they are helpful or not?

[Samtian]

@ather The only way I know is to go to your actual review on the product page and see from there.

[ather]

Oh ok thanks 🙂

[Samtian]

Don't let the negatives get you down, unless you posted non-helpful ones like mentioned below. One thing I have noticed, and it has happened to me, is if you leave a negative review they usually get a ton of not helpful votes. Because people are brand loyal and if you say something bad about the brand or their product they will do that.

[JillyBeanTX]

@Samtian -Great point about brand loyalty. 

I rarely post negative reviews anyway (not sure if I have ever given a 1or 2 star review). 

Because I am older, I purchase products that perhaps aren't on everyone's wild wish list!  😀😀😀😀😀

Thank you for the support and encouragement!

[GG84]

@JillyBeanTX I have the same thing happen with my reviews. I'm going to spill some info. Reviews are a form of social media to any company - I work in the Beauty Industry, so I know. Some brands are active on Sephora (without being under their Brand name)

I have seen with my own eyes several brands send people who work for them onto Sephora and to BIC to either write reviews or post in BIC. They don't make their user names difficult for anyone who is in the inner circle to figure out who they are. They dont post under the company name. It's misleading. So who's to say the same people aren't disagreeing with reviews from competitor products? It has little to do with what you are writing, it's far deeper then you. Please don't take it personal. 

[JillyBeanTX]

@GG84.  Wow! As an old lady that is simply obsessive about quality products and skin care... I had no idea that 'some' would just try to discredit for no reason. 

That's crazy!!!!

I try very hard to be open-minded when I read reviews! I appreciate reviews.... especially from people that share my concerns or are in my age group! 

My Sephora peers are important to me and I wouldn't mislead... so never really considered others aren't sincere about reviews - because I assume we all understand our experiences can be very different.

Thank you for your support and feedback! 

[Llgc]

@JillyBeanTX I'd say don't get too offended by the "unhelpful" status if you're leaving reviews with similar points that @darlyndar brought up below (great points). I feel like most of the time people just seem to say something is unhelpful because they disagree with the person, not that it wasn't helpful. 

However, I do find there are few types of reviews that get listed as "Unhelpful" rather often, examples:

1) If someone leaves a review and says "Ran out of stock in 5 minutes!" - not helpful because it's not a complaint about the product itself

2) If someone leaves a review and says "Haven't used this yet but so excited to!" - this isn't helpful because they aren't actually providing feedback which people can use to ascertain if they want to purchase the item or not. 

3) If someone leaves a review and provides little to no detail, eg) 1/5 for an eyeshadow palette "didn't like the colours" - like, were they consistently not the same as they looked in available photos? is it a marketing fault or the monitor? or did they just buy something on a whim without looking into it which is kind of their own fault but they're going to blame the palette? 

4) IMO, perhaps the worst ones, are the influencer ones. An item is just released but clearly was sent to about a million influencers for free, who all leave basically identical reviews about the exact same shades. They don't all state it was a "free sample" but they all clearly got the same package. This isn't so much about being unhelpful, but it automatically makes it 100x harder for me to dig through reviews to find someone who's actually leaving an honest review. 

Hope that helps. I don't really ever go back to see if my reviews are considered helpful or unhelpful. I'm sure sometimes my feedback is more useless than other times, but I do try to provide details that are relevant where I can. 

[JillyBeanTX]

@Llgc - wonderful feedback.  

I agree with everything you said.

One of the comments I find "Unhelpful" is reviewing on price alone.  

I have finicky extreme combination skin. If I am concerned about the pricetag, I try to get an in-store sample to try for a few days to make sure I don't sneeze or wind up getting shots in my face to calm a severe flare of cystic acne. (this has happened twice to me but thankfully not for over 5 years!)

I also have fragrance sensitivity. Not all products. It's a crap shoot for me.  I tend to mention if there is a light fragrance in skincare items and state that this 'named product' gave me no problems.  

I think I do sincere thoughtful reviews. Especially on premium products. Plus I wait for 30+ days to provide a more accurate review. 

Thank you for your support and feedback!

[darlyndar]

Agreed @Llgc! Those Influencer reviews annoy the heck out of me. I’m happy they were given the opportunity to try products they wouldn’t normally purchase, but it does make it harder for us to know if the review is genuine or sheer excitement. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@JillyBeanTX I like reviews that go into detail.  Ones that just say, "I love this product" don't tell me much.  For example, if it's a lipstick, I like to know things about how long it lasts, what the finish was like, texture, etc.  And even if it's a pink lipstick, I like to hear what shade of pink/brown/red it is.

I wouldn't get too caught up in if your reviews are voted helpful or not.  There are many helpful reviews that don't get recognized.  Or sometimes reviews that are marked helpful can get voted down b/c they get so much hype that people want to knock them down - that's the Internet for you.

I personally love reviews that compare the item to other products, or include the reviewer's beauty regime.  Unfortunately, Sephora doesn't allow mentions of other items.  In the past, I've read a lot of reviews on makeupalley.

Best of luck!  Please don't get frustrated!  🙂

[JillyBeanTX]

@greeneyedgirl107 

I love detailed reviews as well! 

I even love a quick comment about packaging! 

Does it open in your handbag?

Did it make your life easier when traveling?

I recently decided not to purchase a shampoo set because quite a few people said it was very hard to squeeze out.  As a 55+ person with mild arthritis in my hands, a great shampoo doesn't help me much of I can't get it into my hair!!!!!!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Thank you for your feedback and encouragement!

(Grumbles.... Personally I think my reviews are great!  Lololololololol. Mean people stink!!!!!)

[darlyndar]

@JillyBeanTX When it comes to makeup, I first like to state whether it is a product I use regularly or something that I wanted to try. For example, I use glitter and sparkle with every look. If a highlight has visible glitter, I state that it is something I enjoy so if you don’t like it, it may not be for you. Also, if it’s an eyeshadow, I like to state what kind of brush I prefer to use. Same with foundation. I will either prefer a brush or a sponge. Letting readers know your skin tone is also very helpful. I have tan skin so some shades of blush, eyeshadow or highlighter may not be for someone with light skin. These little details really do help me make the decision on whether to purchase an item or not. 

When it it comes to skincare, I state my age, skin type, concerns and sensitivity. I then review if the product worked well for me or not and how I integrated the product into my routine. I also state how long I have been using the product before I wrote the review and if it a dupe for a more expensive item. Skincare reviews are what I read the most since they can be a very expensive purchase. 

What I dislike most are Influencer reviews, ones that got their opinion from YouTube or simply state, “This is so pretty!” Or, “This is so patchy. Don’t buy it.” Lol. 

[JillyBeanTX]

@darlyndar - Oh! Great points.

For skincare and hair products,  I usually state my age, concerns and 'issue's' but I could do better with make-up. 

I read reviews and then hone in on details that apply to me.  It's one thing when I go into a store and can feel the texture and smell it.  Online I read many reviews - especially ones with details as you mentioned -because layering without pilling.... or not greasy or drying... those things mean a lot to me.

Thank you for your feedback and suggestions!